HOME
by Variette Aria
Summary: Home was where love was, but his feelings couldn't solve it, nor could her words.


**Disclaimer-** KHR does not belong to me, it belongs to Akira Amano.

**Summary-** Home was where love was, but his feelings couldn't solve it, nor could her words.

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**HOME**

There is a stranger in your house.

You frown at the feeling, calculating your method of ambush on the poor person inside. You place some of your bombs beside your door, sticking some on the ceiling, and you fish out your lighter.

It is not a second later that your fingers brush the doorbell, and you dash behind a corner, counting the seconds it took for your dynamites to explode.

You cover your ears just in time for the explosion, but not before hearing a scream of 'KYAAA!'

.X.

.X.

.X.

You feel very guilty at all the stares directed at you.

When you answered, a bomb exploded. And it wasn't one of yours.

.X.

.X.

.X.

It's the very first day, your lips are already thinned into a very straight line, your arms are crossed and your eyes are glaring holes onto the back of the stupid woman's head.

"Ah! Gokudera-kun! Welcome back!" She yells from her position from the couch, and you reply with a grunt, taking off your shoes. You grab your bentos from the floor, going into the kitchen to get the chopsticks and set the table.

"What did you get?" The stupid woman asks.

Bentos.

"Convenience type?"

_Yes._

Having set up the table, you walk over to her, helping her onto the wheelchair. When both of you are on either ends of the table, you start helping her eat, but not letting her off the hook.

So? How'd you get in here in the first place?

.X.

.X.

.X.

You don't know when you took notice of her eating habits, or the way her mouth is slightly curved into a small smile when you cook your own special Italian pasta, but you tell yourself you'll have to make it more often.

.X.

.X.

.X.

Hey.

You shake her lightly on the shoulders, making the long brown strands fall onto the pillow.

Hey.

You repeat, this time flicking her forehead. It's dark inside her room and you pull open the curtains, letting the light fill the room though it's already nearly noon and the stupid woman _still_ hasn't woken up.

_Hey._

You say again, this time with more force and volume into it that the woman twitches a bit.

She slowly opens her eyes, blinking away her sleepiness.

The first person she sees everyday is you.

.X.

.X.

.X.

You remember the day when that stupid woman got back onto her own two feet again. You ushered her out of your apartment the moment she walked three steps, phoned Tsuna straight away, telling him the woman was fine now and _canIstopbeingababysitter_?

.X.

.X.

.X.

You are at the lawn-head's house drinking with Yamamoto and Ryohei, and you seriously think that the lawn-head can't hold his liquor. Your ears feel like they're going to burst with another one of his 'EXTREMES' and he's only on his fourth shot while you're on your ninth. The baseball idiot isn't doing well either.

You call Hana over, and she walks over with a sour look on her face saying 'He's sleeping on the couch tonight'. She takes a seat in one of the spare chairs, pouring herself a drink in the process.

"How's it going with Haru?" She asks innocently enough, and you raise your eyebrows just a tiny fraction in disbelief.

She's fine.

"Not yet walking?"

No. I mean, yes. Just yesterday.

You don't want to mention you kicked her out of your house. It's late and you should really be going home because the woman's not going to sleep until- you forgot.

Hey, shouldn't you clean this mess up?

You cast your head to the two sleeping figures, and when Hana ignores your gesture and looks at you with those eyes you feel like you're being rooted onto the spot.

W-What?

"You don't feel anything from Haru?" She says instead.

You stop all your actions and you look at Hana like she's crazy.

W-What? You say, because this conversation just turned a total 180 degrees and you are wondering why the hell she brought it up in the first place.

She sighs, except that's not the answer you want but before you know it you are outside in the neighborhood with a scribbled note inside the palm of your hand.

.X.

.X.

.X.

You seriously think that the world is turning against you, because a week later the stupid woman is _once again_ at your doorstep, sitting on a wheelchair with a cast on her left arm and _both_ legs, and you can't help but think that this is her revenge for kicking her out of your apartment.

When you ask, though, all she can answer with a sheepish grin was 'I fell down the stairs.'

.X.

.X.

.X.

You must've been shot during the previous mission, because you're stuck inside your own apartment with the stupid woman and all you two can do is watch _The Notebook_.

It's already on its third run, and the stupid woman is trying her hardest to not cry for the third time straight.

.X.

.X.

.X.

You take on Hana's written advice after much thought, carefully choosing your words but when you face her you splutter out your invitation.

"Hm?" She asks, completely oblivious about your discomfort.

_Doyouhavetimetomorrow?_

She tilts her head towards her left side, her face still graced by a smile.

Doyou.. Do you have... time to..morrow...? You struggle and stutter because of her gaze that's piercing directly into your very soul, and you know that being in the mafia you shouldn't feel like this from something so petit-

But then she springs up from her bed and hugs you tightly, and you can feel your cheeks redden and your heart constrict-

Although whether she was happy about having a date or a date _with_ you, you do not know.

.X.

.X.

.X.

Halfway through the date you saw Haru as who she really was, and another quarter though you fell in love.

.X.

.X.

.X.

"Where were you?" She asks one day, the day after your 5,000 dollars had gone down the drain. You throw a quick glance at the woman lying on the couch, plastered up in white, the colors from the TV screen appearing on her face.

You scoff. None of your business. How'd you get onto the sofa anyway?

She makes a noise that meant 'not telling' and pressed the remote control to the TV to turn it off.

You glance at the clock, and you go towards her, carefully lifting her up with just enough strength that you do not crush her in your arms.

You should rest more.

Your reply was a small 'Hm' and a nod of her head. You can tell that she's sleepy, and you hurry into the spare room that was now the stupid woman's room.

"You know, Tsuna-san and Kyoko-chan really fit each other." She says after you succeeded in lifting her up onto the bed.

Really.

The corner of her lips lifts for a few seconds, before turning to stare out of the window.

Only one shining star adorned the night sky.

.X.

.X.

.X.

Your apartment is quickly turning into a DVD store, and although you keep on telling her that there was not enough room in your house to fit all those CDs you keep on buying some every Tuesday. You'll force a spring cleaning on the woman after she's all healed up, someday.

.X.

.X.

.X.

I'm hurt- You've never even considered me?

You've popped the question, there was no turning back now, and you're hoping with all your faith to God that it'll go smoothly. You give the box in your hand a tiny squeeze; turn in over and take it back into the palm of your hand.

"Gokudera-kun! I see you as a brother!" She laughs it off, but her laughs subdues after seeing your face.

"What did you see me as?" She whispers, and everything else is quiet and all you can hear is your heartbeat and rapid breathing-

You cannot bring yourself to say those words that you've practiced saying a thousand times over in your head-

_A woman. A crush. A love. A possible partner. A _life_ partner._

So you just smile while pocketing your five thousand dollars worth of a diamond ring, and when you finally answer you're already at the door, head low and eyes covered.

.X.

.X.

.X.

'A friend, Haru. A friend.'_  
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**(A/N)-** Thanks for reading, and please do drop a review~


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